Glimpses: Of Red
by neonzuki
Summary: Glimpses into the life of the F4 and their friends, years into the future.


Disclaimer: Hana Yori Dango is the awesome work of Yoko Kamio, I don't own any part of it, nor do I make any money from it.

All kinds of feedback appreciated!

* * *

Tsukushi was amazing.

Of course, this wasn't anything new to Tsukasa; he had known it all along, since the very beginning. He looked at her with adoration in his eyes and today, if it were possible, she was more radiant than ever.

Any idiot could see that Tsukasa was smitten – Absolutely, irrefutably, wholly, completely smitten. Strangers could see it in the way he held her hand tightly, keeping her close but never walking in front of her or behind her, always beside her. The way that he let himself be silenced with just a simple look from her or the way he would glance at her out of the corner of his eyes when he thought she wasn't looking.

While Tsukasa's love for Tsukushi could certainly be _seen_, those who didn't know him couldn't exactly hear it in his voice. "Makino!" he would growl her maiden name gruffly, and bystanders would be shocked by the forcefulness with which he called her. However, Tsukushi would simply turn around and say calmly, "Domyoji?" with raised eyebrows. The couple would share a grin as if an entire joke had been said within two words and the onlookers would sigh in relief at another physical sign of affection. Little did they know that when Tsukushi was replying, she really meant "It's Domyoji, actually. It's not Makino anymore, and it hasn't been for six years." They didn't know that when Tsukasa yelled her name loudly, his heart was always saying "Tsukushi," lovingly, longingly and reverently. Tsukushi, the name he rarely called her in public, but in the privacy of their own home or behind closed doors he allowed his voice to vocalise what his heart had been saying all along. The name was sacred to him – Others might think it only meant "weed", but to him it was salvation, it was his saving grace.

Tsukushi loved hearing her name escape from his lips and revelled in the sound of it. At this very moment she wanted to hear it more than ever. She squeezed her eyes shut as a particularly bad wave of pain washed over her. Tsukasa's hand was in hers and she gripped it tightly. He looked down at the girl he married over half a decade ago, face flushed and contorted in pain, squeezing his hand rather painfully. He thought she had never looked so wonderful. When the pain passed, Tsukushi opened her eyes again and met Tsukasa's own. He smiled at her encouragingly, "Tsukushi," he said gently and she felt safe and reassured and almost like she was overflowing with love for him.

* * *

Sojiro stared down at the gurgling, energetic bundle that Tsukasa held in his arms. She had the beginnings of curly black hair – A present from her father. She pumped her tiny fists and legs in the air and Sojiro had no doubt that she was going to pack a punch as strong as her mother's one day. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch the happy baby, to feel the softness of her skin and the lovely texture of her fine hair. "She's not going bite you!" Tsukasa said brashly but with a voice full of pride and pleasure. Sojiro simply glared at Tsukasa and ran his hand down the baby's cheek. Somehow she grabbed on to one of his fingers and clung to it tightly, waving it around in the air. Sojiro let out a burst of laughter, as did the woman sitting beside him. Yuki took the baby from Tsukasa and made soft cooing noises and blew raspberries on the baby's hands and feet. As she giggled gleefully, Sojiro was transfixed at the image of Yuki playing with and hugging the wriggling baby girl.

Something sharp jabbed Sojiro in the side and he looked over to see Tsukasa laughing at him. "Close your mouth!" he managed to say in between spurts of laughter. While her father laughed, the baby suddenly opened her mouth and let out an unholy cry. "Poor darling," Yuki muttered. "Do you want your mummy? Ok, let's go see you mother." Yuki and the baby left to find Tsukushi and the two men were left behind.

"What's it like being a father?" Sojiro asked curiously and nothing on Earth could have wiped away the extreme look of bliss that occupied Tsukasa's face at that moment. "It's like… Completion." He replied, those same traces of pride and pleasure still lingering in his voice. This answer baffled Sojiro but he had no time to ask Tsukasa to elaborate as Yuki returned.

"Tsukushi wants you to help her," she told Tsukasa who sped from the room to be with his wife and child. Yuki sat down next to Sojiro and turned to face him. "She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Sojiro thought of Yuki cradling a newborn baby with straight black hair and Yuki's expressive brown eyes, and thought he felt his heart throw itself against his ribcage. "Yeah," he managed to say in a slightly choked voice. Yuki pecked him lightly on the lips and wrapped her arms around his midsection. "Don't worry," she mumbled into his chest, "We can practice making one of our own when we get home."

* * *

Akira watched as Tsukushi and Tsukasa walked around with their three month old baby curled up in Tsukushi's arms. It was the baby's first formal event and Akira smiled as he heard countless of women exclaim "She's so cute!" in delight. "What's her name?" they would ask, and then they would nod in appreciation of her name but never quite understand its true significance.

It was so long ago now, but Akira could recall the day that Tsukasa was kicked down by the only person who ever had the guts to stand up to him – A plain and scrawny girl with her hair in two plaits. Akira still remembered his own feelings of shock and surprise at seeing Tsukasa on the ground, having been put there by some faceless, common girl. He wasn't, however, surprised that Makino had received a red notice the very next day. That Tsukasa and Tsukushi's child was named Akano – _Of red_ – was no coincidence.

While he had been left in his thoughts, the young family had all made their way towards him. "Akira-kun," Tsukushi said fondly and offered little Akano to him. When they had all first met, never in Akira's wildest dreams could he have imagined Tsukushi and Tsukasa married and with a small child, yet here he was, holding their firstborn in his arms. "I bet you want one of your own now, eh?" Tsukasa goaded gleefully. "You can't have mine!" Tsukushi slapped Tsukasa on the arm. "Stop it," she warned, "Or you'll be waking up tonight to change and feed her!" Akira couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Tsukasa changing spoiled diapers. The very idea was hilarious and inconceivable. Once he had clamed down from that thought, he said "As cute as Akano-chan is, I don't think I'm cut out to be a father."

Tsukushi nodded in comprehension but Tsukasa scoffed. "I bet some of the women Akira dates already have kids anyway!" Outraged that Tsukasa could be so rude to Akira, Tsukushi stomped on his foot and ignored his howl of pain. "That's it!" She cried. "You're feeding her tonight!" Tsukasa simply looked at her and laughed, despite the pain in his foot. He pulled her towards him and said "How about we wake up and feed her together?" The two of them burst out laughing and Akira looked on in amusement. He himself may not have felt prepared to be a parent but he didn't worry about these two at all.

* * *

Shizuka had flown out especially from Paris to meet the offspring of Domyoji Tsukasa and Makino Tsukushi. Upon hearing the news that their daughter had been born, Shizuka had simply felt that seeing such a blessed child was more important than her work at this moment. Besides, it gave her a chance to visit Japan for a bit.

As always, Rui was waiting faithfully for her at the airport. "Thanks for coming," she said gratefully and Rui shook his head. "It's really not a problem," he replied nonchalantly, kissing her softly on the cheek. "Are we going straight to see them?"

"Oh yes," Shizuka said excitedly. "I want to meet Akano soon."

Rui smiled his trademark soft upward curve of the lips and for an instant Shizuka felt her normally calm heart jump. She had never seen herself married or a mother until at least 35 or after becoming a partner at her firm – whichever came first – but she had always held a soft spot for Hanazawa Rui.

When they arrived at the Domyoji mansion and were announced, the new family of three came down the main staircase together and both Rui and Shizuka looked up at them in wonder. Their unity was inspiring, and Shizuka couldn't help but smile her most beautiful and happiest smile, for a family that held so much promise and love for each other.

Out of the corner of his eye, Rui saw the smile and remembered, a little sadly, that her smile had once been reserved for him. But he was too old to get lost in memories of those old days, and seeing baby Akano gurgle and babble happily in Shizuka's arms reminded him that there was still a lifetime ahead of him.

In the sitting room, before he realised, Tsukushi was sitting at his side and saying quietly, "You're too busy for your own good. This is the first time you've visited since she was born."

"I don't have any excuses for not coming, but I'm not as busy as your husband, Tsukushi-chan. I don't know how hard it is to juggle the economy of the country in one hand and a baby in the other," Rui replied smiling. Tsukushi giggled inwardly, remembering how Hanazawa Rui's gentle smiles once made her insides flutter.

"You should come baby sit. Akano needs to get to know Uncle Rui well, because I imagine he'll play a large role in her life from now on," she said, speaking as if he weren't there.

"Oh, and why is that?" Rui asked innocently.

"Because you're going to be her godfather!" Tsukasa butt in with glee, an impressive grin on his face.

Rui didn't say anything in reply, while Shizuka and Tsukushi exchanged knowing glances. Swiftly, Tsukushi smacked Tsukasa on the back of the head. "Idiot!" she exclaimed.

* * *

After the christening, Shigeru bounced up to them and scooped the baby out of Tsukasa's arms. "Akano-chan!" she squealed in delight amidst Tsukasa's yells of "Oi! Monkey! Get your own baby!"

"Hah! Come and get her!" Shigeru called, as the baby was suddenly plucked out of her own arms.

"I'll take my goddaughter back now, thanks," Rui said calmly, placing her in the pretty white stroller that was by his side. Shigeru pouted and Rui raised his eyebrows. "You're too old to be getting what you want all the time, Shigeru."

"You're too old to be as spaced out as you are, Hanazawa Rui!" she retorted.

Coming up behind them, Sojiro piped up, "She has a point, Rui." From beside him, Akira nodded in agreement. "I don't know why your company building hasn't fallen to the ground in ruins yet," Sojiro added. Rui simply shrugged and continued to push the stroller backwards and forwards. The crown was beginning to thin as dusk fell upon the garden. It was late summer and the sky was turning a warm orange and the fragrance of the roses was rising in the air. F3 and Shigeru chatted quietly and comfortably as Akano slept through sunset.

* * *

In the late evening, the Domyoji gardens were still and quiet, save for the master and mistress of the house wandering hand in hand through the rose gardens.

"See, there's Cassiopeia," Tsukasa said in the dark, pointing to a cluster of stars. Tsukushi raised her head and gazed at the glittering mass above her, and her heart caught in her throat.

"And there's Leo," he said, pointing to another group. "It's supposed to look like a lion, but honestly, I never –" Tsukasa was cut off as Tsukushi pulled him down towards her height and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist as her hands roamed through his hair.

"I prefer the stars in your eyes," she whispered. "I can't see lions in the stars either, but sometimes I see one in your heart." Tsukasa grinned at her words. "So I'm not crazy then for not being able to see a lion in the sky?" he asked.

His arms were still around her middle and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes directly. "Yes you are. You're too tall for a Japanese man, you drink too much coffee, you don't like sweet things, and you married a commoner. What are you if you're not crazy?" she smiled softly at Tsukasa's slightly irritated look.

"It's ok, I like crazy people," she continued.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Tall people who drink too much coffee."

"How about people that don't like sweet things?"

"They're ok too," she whispered.

Leaning down so that their noses were touching, he asked, "And what about the ones who marry commoners after red tagging them?"

"They're my favourite type of people."

Slowly, they kissed again under the canopy of stars, holding each other and savouring each others embrace. Finally, Tsukushi took his hand again and led him towards their home where their daughter was waiting for them.


End file.
